Happily Ever After
by RavenHeart101
Summary: Noah Puckerman lives a relatively normal life with his partner in New York City. Until the daughter that he hasn't seen since she was born shows up and tells him a story of how he's the only one who can stop a fairytale curse. Puck/Blaine. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

Happily Ever After

By: RavenHeart101

Disclaimer: I wish I could claim ownership for ANY of this. Sadly, I cannot. I know... it's a very sad day.

Summary: Noah Puckerman is a twenty six year old police detective and lives a relatively normal life with his partner in New York City. Until the daughter that he hasn't seen since she was born shows up and tells him a story of how he's the only one who can stop a fairytale curse from continuing. It doesn't help that things start happening in the small town the moment Noah brings Beth back home.

**A: N** – I blame "Once Upon a Time" and the Glee hiatus and... yeah. I blame that. Enjoy this new, lovely, Puck/Blaine story y'all!

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><p>Noah liked his job well enough. He was paid well and he lived a decent life. His apartment was as upscale as a police officer could afford in New York City and he had two wonderful partners – one on the force and the other at home. Not that Noah had ever believed that Tigess even compared to his at-home-partner but he was as good as Noah could bring himself to expect from a New York City police department. He was loyal – if a bit lazy – and he knew how to do his job. He got along well with Blaine and the fact that Noah had been faithfully with another man for almost three years now didn't noticeably bother him. Not that it bothered as many people as expected but it was still nice that Tigess sometimes asked about him.<p>

Therefore, it was safe to say that Noah lived a pretty good life.

A pretty normal life.

Except that he couldn't help thinking that there was something else that he was missing.

Noah sighed and threw his coat over his shoulder, yelling out his goodbyes as he left the office and stepped into the crisp night air of New York City. He heaved a deep breath and fished his phone out of his pocket, his lips turning up a bit at the picture that covered his screen.

He ran his thumb over the faces staring up at him – Blaine and his niece from their Christmas party – before checking the time and shoving the phone back into his pocket. 12:10. Passed midnight then.

Noah climbed into his car, starting it up with steady hands and starting off in the direction of the apartment he had been sharing with Blaine for over two years now.

Wow... two years... who would have thought...

His face nearly fell to pieces when he pulled up and saw the lights out in the window that was clearly their apartment. Of course Blaine would be sleeping. It wasn't that unusual. Noah worked long hours and Blaine... well Blaine worked a sort of opposite schedule of Noah. They rarely had time together. And, yes, that was aggravating but Noah wasn't about to lose something – someone – as good as Blaine simply because of the hours they worked. They had worked too hard for what they had to let it fall apart over something like that.

"Hey Rick." He greeted their landlord as he let himself into the apartment complex. Rick was sprawled out on the couch him and his wife had placed in the entrance room a long ago. His long legs were propped up on the arm rest, his arm slung across his eyes. Fifty eight years old, ex-football player turned property owner, and a man constantly at odds with his strong willed wife. Rick was probably the best damn landlord Noah had ever had.

"Catch all those bad guys Puck?" Rick perked up from his seat, his eyes wild in wonder.

Noah hissed in a laugh, smiling at the older man and tossing a stack of papers at Rick's chest. "Football news for you, Rick." He winked at the his landlord, chuckling as he climbed up the stairs.

"That boy of yours Puck. He's out to get me, I swear." Rick called after him, shuffling into a seated position and running a hand through his graying hair.

"Why do you say that?" Noah commented dryly, hand stilled over the doorknob and an eyebrow raised.

Rick was full of conspiracy theories. "He's always talkin' to Tammy, ya know? He's all... understandin'. An' all she asks me is 'why can't ya be more like Blaine? He's such a sweet'art.' Ya tell 'im to stay away from my girl. Ya hear?" And it seemed that whenever Rick was presenting these conspiracy theories he became southern. Props to him.

Noah couldn't help the laugh that pushed passed his lips at the thought. "Believe me, Rick. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to Blaine. He's as gay as they come."

"Yeah but it's an _act_, Puck. He's good at that kinda stuf-!" But Noah was done with hearing it, opening and closing the apartment door behind him, rolling his eyes at the audacity of landlord Rick and locking the door soundly with a flick of his wrist.

Noah let his eyes flutter shut, his body sagging at the feeling that he was _home_. He heaved in a deep breath, a smile curling at the corner of his lips before his eyes flew open and he took in the darkened edges of their apartment. The table in the corner with all of Blaine's musical scores lit up and in a nice and neat order. Their couch with a blanket thrown over the back. The television not too big but not too small tilted slightly to the right and their bookcase filled to the brim with music and law and fantasy and mystery and a general overload of books. Their DVD case much in the same situation, doubles of movies often showing up since they hadn't really felt the need to sort out which ones the other had when they moved in together.

It wasn't the perfect place. But it was home.

Noah resisted the urge to collapse on the couch and, instead, waltzed towards their bedroom, leaning against the door frame and frowning in confusion. Blaine blinked over at him from his kneeling position in front of their dresser, his curly hair a mess and his glasses perched over the tip of his nose.

"You're home early." Blaine stated with a small tinge of wonder. "Did everything go okay?" Wonder was quickly replaced with worry. Blaine worried too much. Noah smiled gently at him, opening his arms when Blaine walked over to him, placing both his smaller limbs around Noah's waist and hugging him tightly.

"Tige said he'd take the paper work." Noah leaned down for a small kiss before the two of them settled back into their embrace. "Why are you still up?"

"Job search was a bust." Blaine let out a long suffering sigh, pulling away from Noah and falling back onto their bed. "So I decided to do some writing."

Noah shrugged off his shirt and kicked off his shoes, pouncing on top of where Blaine was settled not a moment later, happily keeping himself elevated over the smaller of the two, his legs straddling Blaine's waist and hands planted on either side of his head. "You'll find somewhere."

"At this rate? I've been looking for months, Noah." Blaine wrinkled his nose at him, sighing and leaning his head back. "No one wants to hire a guy who's resume is a coffee shop and college for a music degree that's getting them no where so far."

"Anyone would be lucky to have you." Noah leaned down to kiss him, long and sensual. Slow and yet passionate, a fire beginning to pool in his belly. But he let it extinguish because it really wasn't the time for that. They pulled back from one another with a quick peck. "You already have fans."

"Yay internet." Blaine commented dryly, smiling up at Noah before kicking him over to the side. "I love you, but you smell. Go take a shower."

"I'm offended."

"You poor baby." Blaine rolled his eyes at him, trying again to push Noah off the bed and towards their bathroom but to no avail. "You seriously smell, Noah."

Noah smirked up at him, pulling him down beside him and his hands fluttering over Blaine's sides, relishing in the laugh that pulled itself from his partner's lips and he flew backwards on their bed to try and escape Noah's assault. But Noah wasn't planning on letting up, pinning Blaine's hands over his head with one hand and tickling him with the other. He laughed as Blaine squirmed, his grip not tight enough to actually hurt Blaine, yet tight enough that Blaine couldn't wrangle himself free while he was kicking out. "You love my stench."

"W-when was the l-last time you t-took a sh-showe-shower?" Blaine quipped back, heaving deep breaths whenever he could. Noah narrowed his eyes, releasing his wrists and increasing his attack, relishing in the loud laughs that were falling from Blaine's mouth and the sparkling hazel eyes that kept opening and shutting due to mirth.

"Last night. I remember you being there."

"Well y-you won't g-get a re-re-repeat- holy sh-shit st-_stop_!" And Noah was stopping because he would always stop whenever Blaine told him to stop. Blaine's laughs died off, his chest heaving as it tried to work in air to his lungs. "You... ass." He hit at Noah's chest lightly squirming underneath Noah's weight and barely managing to stifle a wince.

"Sorry." Noah's forehead creased in concern for a moment before he swooped down to kiss Blaine once again, rolling off his body and pulling him on top of his chest.

"How was work?" Blaine asked softly, the two of them happy to simply relax for the time being, his hazel eyes drooping as exhaustion seeped into his bones.

Noah shrugged. "We found our guy."

"Good." Blaine yawned, nuzzling into his chest. "Knew you could do it."

Noah felt his own eyes flutter shut and he let them, resting his cheek on top of Blaine's curls, and their breathing evening out in a synchronization that the two of them had mastered over the last year of their relationship.

Yes, it was safe to say that Noah Puckerman had a pretty good, _normal_ life.

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><p>Noah woke up to a sharp knock on the apartment door at six in the morning.<p>

Blaine was still out cold beside him, hugging a pillow under his head and mumbling something about birds and carrots. Noah ran a hand down his back, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek and taking off his glasses to place on their bedside table. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, cursing under his breath when whoever was at their door knocked sharply once more.

Who in the world would be bothering them at six in the morning on a Saturday?

He shuffled out of the bedroom, not bothering to cover a yawn as he scratched at his tanned stomach before unlocking the door and pulling it open, the chain only allowing him to move so far.

No one was there.

At least no one at his eye level.

His brown eyes dropped and he blinked down at the girl in confusion.

There was no way she was any older than ten years old, her blonde hair falling in gentle curls down her face, her brown eyes staring up at him in wonder. She was in a school uniform – one that looked eerily similar to the one Blaine had pictures of himself wearing as a child before Dalton – and she was clutching a backpack as though her life depended on it. And she was smiling. Brightly. Way too brightly at six in the morning on a Saturday.

Suddenly Noah felt like he should be wearing a shirt. At least he had gone to bed with pants on this time.

"Can I help you?" His voice was rough with sleep and he had to clear it and repeat the question in order for it to be heard.

She just smiled up at him even brighter than she had before. "You're Noah Puckerman. You're my father."

He nearly fell back in shock, his hand immediately swinging shut the door with a loud echo. His brown eyes were wide. His daughter? Noah didn't have a daughter. Well he did but he hadn't seen her since she was born and Quinn had put her up for adoption. There was no way that anything like Beth finding him could actually happen. He hadn't seen her in _ten years_. Stuff like this only happened in movies and cheesy Hallmark television shows. "Noh? Why's there a little girl standing outside our apartment?" Blaine's familiar voice asked cautiously from the doorway leading to their bedroom, his eyes squinting in confusion and his curly hair sticking up in almost every possibly direction.

Noah stared at him for a moment. "She says she's my daughter."

"So you slammed the door on her?" Blaine raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "Even if she's not, Noah you can't just leave a little girl in the middle of a New York apartment complex unattended."

"You have a good point." Noah admitted slowly.

"So open the door, Noah." Blaine turned back towards their bedroom. "I'm going to change and then put on some coffee."

Noah distantly heard him mutter something about how it was way too early for any family reunions and he couldn't help agreeing. But, either way, he ripped the chain from the door and threw the door open to reveal the little girl with an – was it even possible – even brighter and wider smile than she had on before. "Come in." He gestured with his hand wondering if he should run into his bedroom to grab a shirt when one came flying at him from the bedroom. Go figure his partner was a mind reader.

"I understand why it's a shock to you." She smiled up at him.

"Who are you, kid?" Noah cut to the chase. Because there was no possible chance that she was who she said she was.

"I'm Beth." Her eyes looked at him in confusion, a frown settling over her small lips. "I'm your daughter."

"I gave up my daughter ten years ago."

"And I'm ten years old." She swung her book bag onto the coffee table, sitting herself down on their couch with a wide smile. "I was adopted-"

"Do your parents even know you're here?" Noah was surprised that hadn't occurred to him sooner. Did her parents know that she was there? Chances were they probably didn't.

"Parent. I only have a mom." She shrugged as though it was the most normal thing to say, her figure full of nonchalance as she pulled open the drawstrings of her bag. "I need your help, dad."

"Okay stop right there." Noah stood opposite her, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not your dad."

"Yes you are." She smiled brightly at him. "And Quinn Fabray is my mom." She shrugged. "She told me all about you."

"I don't think she's lying Noah." Blaine crept into the living room, his hazel eyes wide behind his contacts, his hair styled and his clothes immaculate. How he could do that in such short of a time Noah still had yet to figure out.

And, no, Noah didn't think she was lying either. He was pretty good at telling when people were lying and she wasn't showing any of those tells. "I need your help." She stressed, pulling a large tome out of her bag and throwing it onto the table with a bang.

Blaine sent him a warning look, falling onto the couch beside her and shrugging in a manner that asked Noah what else he was supposed to do. "Why do you need Noah's help?"

She took a moment to stare at Blaine, her brown eyes widening even more – if that was possible – and a larger smile covering her face. Her hands leaped out in front of her to clap happily, her body doing a sort of victory dance, Blaine's lips upturning in a small laugh. Noah knew that look. That was the same look that Blaine got whenever he saw a puppy or kitten or any injured or cute animal. He was falling in love with this little girl and he wanted her for a pet. Or something. Damn it. Noah clamped his hand on top of Blaine's shoulder, happy when Blaine looked up at him enough to notice his subtle shake of his head. "You didn't answer my question, kid. Does your mom know you're here?"

Her face fell. "No." She spoke quietly before perking up. "But I need your help. Both of you."

"Kid I have to get you home-"

"Hear me out, _please_!"

"Kid-"

"Sure." Blaine smiled at her, blanching and looking over at Noah, a sheepish look on his face. "Why harm will it do?"

"Blaine-"

"There's this curse." The girl spoke frantically, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear and pulling open the thick book. Which Noah could now see was a children's book titled 'Once Upon a Time'. "And you're the only one who can break it."

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><p><strong>A: N – <strong>Not much of a first chapter but it's what I got for now. What do you think? Should I add more because I'm really not sure if this is good...

Anyone interested? Anyone? Depending on the response I will update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Happily Ever After

By: RavenHeart101

Disclaimer: I wish I could claim ownership for ANY of this. Sadly, I cannot. I know... it's a very sad day.

Summary: Noah Puckerman is a twenty six year old police detective and lives a relatively normal life with his partner in New York City. Until the daughter that he hasn't seen since she was born shows up and tells him a story of how he's the only one who can stop a fairytale curse from continuing. It doesn't help that things start happening in the small town the moment Noah brings Beth back home.

_A thanks to all those who reviewed_: Aledda (It's certainly going to be fluffier than Cadenza. I hope. I make no promises. My muse tends to bring me places I don't want to go.), fuffylover (Aww yay! Thank you!), omgbelle (-blushes- I'm not sure if they're all great but thank you for your kind words.), M. J. Goldie (Thank you!), Kimmi G (You should watch it as soon as you can. It's an amazing show.), eaglegirl1202 (Eee! Thank you!), LukeorMarch (As you should. Don't guess my plots sweetie. You won't win.), Utena-Puchiko-nyu (Thank you. :D), and PopcornSoda (The internet will work miracles. Google it. I'm sure you'll find a website streaming it. :D Ahhh! Have fun! It's so nice to hear that people still read that story.).

**A: N** – A damn good turn out for a first chapter. Love you all. :D

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><p>The Prince fell back against his chair, a sigh passing through his lips and his cup handing almost limply from his fingers. His brown eyes never strayed from the floor, observing all the cracks and all the dirt and dust. His cloak was slung over the side of the ornate throne, blue and flowing. The Prince wore his traditional "down-time" clothing – his hunting pants, dark brown that they were, and his dark blue and brown long sleeved shirt. A tiny layer of thinly cut brown hair sat on top of his head, his sword at the foot of the throne, resting with care beside his outstretched hand.<p>

The Prince's skin was tan and clean and his lips were pink and pursed in thought. He tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling with something a kin to worry.

This Prince wasn't one to worry a lot, though that isn't to say that he never worried. Simply he just didn't have much to worry about besides his mother and sister. He didn't bother thinking and worrying about others. Especially about his father and the people within the kingdom. The Prince cared about the people, but he honestly did not believe that he had the energy or the authority to be worried. He hadn't been Prince for very long and the only reason he was staying was to ensure that his mother and sister would be alive and kept safe.

Maybe the Prince had made a mistake when he asked the thief to show. Or maybe he hadn't. All the Prince knew was that there was something about the other boy that was attracting so much of his attention. Like an invisible tether at the core of his very being. The thief was imprisoned for a reason – a very good reason at that, he had somehow managed to sneak in and out of the castle twenty times without ever being noticed or caught by anyone besides the Prince. And when the Prince had caught him he couldn't help but be stunned by his beauty.

He had tanned skin, yet skin that was paler than his own. He had the most stunning hazel eyes, the orbs wide and yet guarded, the green and brown swirling together in perfect unison. His hair looked deliciously soft, the curls cut short and controlled, yet still bouncing up on top of his head.

The Prince was smitten from the moment he had laid eyes on him.

It was scarily shocking, to be honest. So far the Prince had had no romantic interests, no matter who his father tried to set him up with. No matter who he was "married" to in the eyes of the kingdom.

Nothing cliché like his heart stopping happened. No. It was nothing like that.

He had been shocked is all. So incredibly shocked and taken in by the thief's beauty the first time he had seen him. And the thief had simply stared at him for a moment, most likely trying to figure out whether he had a chance of running or not, before a small upturn of his lips overcame his features and he was jumping out the open window of the Prince's father's study.

The Prince sighed, sitting forward in his seat and willing the guards to hurry up. He did not have a whole lot of time before his "wife" was going to be back from her day spent out of town and the Prince would like to get some insight into this connection before he did anything else.

Footsteps, around four and measured in precise footfalls, interrupted every once in a while by a stuttering staccato before falling back into rhythm. The Prince sat up straighter, arranging himself into the image of nonchalance, his back pressed against the throne and his feet settled firmly on the ground. He gripped his cup tighter, in a more sure grip than it had been in before. "My Prince." One of the guards, the one leading in the thief by a tight hand on his arm bowed in acknowledgment.

The Prince nodded his head back, letting a tiny smirk cross his lips for good measure, taking in with a pang how the guards shoved the thief roughly to the ground so that he was kneeling before the Prince. "Show your Prince some respect."

The thief held his tongue, staring down at the floor with pursed lips and narrowed, determined eyes. The Prince frowned when the prisoner didn't even so much as look at him. The guard behind the thief took on an almost murderous stance, outrage clouding his face and his hand reaching out to slap the prisoner. "No." The Prince spoke firmly, halting all movement. "You may leave." He nodded towards the door, beckoning the guards out of the hall.

"My Prince-" One protested.

"Go." The Prince's voice took on a steal edge, warning the guards of what would happen if they did not obey.

They blanched before retreating through the door, muttering to themselves as they turned into the corridor and shut the heavy metal behind them. The thief stayed kneeling in the middle of the floor, making no motion to change his position. The Prince slipped off his throne and stood before him, taking in the disheveled appearance, the dirty face, the uncontrolled hair, the ripped clothing. The thief had never looked more like a commoner than he did at that moment. "What is your name?" The Prince asked softly, repeating himself when he received no answer.

And when he received no answer then he couldn't help blinking and falling back against the throne, leaning against it with shock and confusion. No one had ever disobeyed his orders since he had become Prince. "You do realize what I could do to if you do not answer."

Still, the thief defiantly kept his mouth shut. Fury began to coil in the Prince's stomach. Who did this thief think he was? His foot rested on the thief's shoulder, kicking him backwards, relishing in the grunt that passed through his lips. The Prince circled the figure before him, kneeling down beside him and turning his head to look into his eyes. The thief avoided his gaze, his head turning aggravatingly to the side until the Prince gripped his chin and made their eyes connect. His lips were practically glued shut in protest, his stunning hazel eyes hardened in anger, his forehead uncreased and the Prince watched as his features visibly went lax, making it close to impossible to read anything off of him. He was good. "I could have you executed. Killed. Tortured."

The Prince's eyes narrowed as he stared at the silent thief. He was no older than him, in fact he was probably younger, in his late teens most likely. It was a weird thought. The Prince had been no better than this thief a year ago. "Your entrails could be cut out and strewn across the room." That didn't even garner a reaction and the Prince had to sit back on his heals to think of a way to get the thief to crack. His hand relaxed along the thief's chin, but the thief made no motion to move his hand out his grasp. "I could order your family to be killed. A sister or brother perhaps? A close friend."

And there. There was that reaction he had been hoping for. His hazel eyes flashed in something close to fear. The Prince couldn't help the small smirk that crossed over his lips.

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><p>"A curse?" Noah stared at her in disbelief, an eyebrow raised in question. Even Blaine sat back in his seat, confusion etched onto his face and Noah's hand heavy on his shoulder. Beth stared at the two of them, taking the question as an invitation to explain more.<p>

Her voice began to build up, filling with excitement because it was obvious that she had yet to tell anyone any of her theory until now. "You're a prince, Noah." Her voice was full of wonder, her brown eyes wide. "There was this time, this whole other _universe_, where your father reigned over this huge land. But then this queen came, the queen from Snow White, and raged war on every neighboring kingdom. When Snow White was kissed by Prince Charming they were able to take their spot as the rightful King and Queen and the war ended. Until the evil queen came back on their wedding day, and you were there Noah, and so were you," She nodded at Blaine who nodded along slowly, an encouraging smile on his distressed face. Guess this wasn't exactly the puppy he had been expecting. "But, anyway, she showed up and cursed everyone into _this_ world. You were knocked out and you, you just weren't affected for some really cool reason, and the curse didn't affect you right."

She paused to heave in a deep breath, a smile over her lips and her fingers tapping out on the cover of the big book eagerly. Blaine traded a look with Noah, a frown on both their faces. "That's a very nice story, Beth." Blaine said slowly, swallowing and moving to stand up, but her small hand latched onto his arm and kept him place, her blue eyes wide and begging.

"Please! You have to believe me! You two are the only two who can save everyone from the evil queen." She stressed and Noah had the feeling that she was actually believing what she was talking about. And, for some reason, that was both terrifying and adorable.

Blaine looked at her for a moment longer, a gentle smile transforming his features and Noah was suddenly reminded of all those acting classes and plays Blaine regularly found himself in. "Of course I believe you, sweetie." Noah looked at him disbelief, gaping for a moment before frowning. "I just have to go into the kitchen to check on the coffee and call your mother. Do you have a number where I can reach her?"

Beth's eyes took on a panicked look and she stuttered out an answer. "N-no. Well yes, but-but please don't c-call her. She'll be so mad!"

Blaine frowned, looking up at Noah with wide eyes and yes, Noah guessed this was his area of specialty now. After all, he was the police officer. "Your mom doesn't know you're here does she?"

Beth swallowed, her brown eyes starting to water and her lower lip trembling. Noah's heart tugged in response to the classing 'puppy dog eyes' that Blaine had used so many times – that his sister had used so many times – that _he _had used so many times. "N-no. She wouldn't agree with me meeting you."

"How did you get here?" Blaine's voice held a twinge of panic and Noah halted his overreaction by a hand on top of his own and a nod to the kitchen where the coffee maker was dinging for attention.

Noah kissed his cheek when he stood up, his hand lingering in his own as Blaine walked away before he fell into the seat he had occupied before. "How did you get here, Beth?"

"A train."

"You took a train." Noah ran a hand down his face. "Where do you live?"

"Please don't bring me home until the end of the school day! She won't even know I'm gone!"

"_Where do you live_, Bethany?" And there Noah went, his tone stern and fatherly. He hadn't even realized that he remembered her full name he had referred to her as 'Beth' so many times in dreams and memories.

A few tears escaped out of the corner of Beth's brown eyes, sliding down her cheeks around the same time Blaine exited the kitchen, two coffee mugs clutched in his hands. He handed one to Noah, frowning when he caught the tear streaks down Beth's face and sitting on the arm of the couch with a calculating look. "Sweetie you're not going to be in trouble with us. We just want to get you home. I'm sure your mother's worrying a ton." He wrinkled his nose at her and Noah thought, not for the first time, about what Blaine would be like as a father. A great father most likely. The kind who would get down on hands and knees to play with the child, no matter how old he was. The kind who would sing them to sleep every night, the kind who would write them their own lullaby and have around ten songs dedicated to them a year. He'd parade them around as though they were the most beautiful thing in the world.

Noah shook himself out of his thoughts before the entered dangerous territories. The fact that he had been in a relationship for three years was shocking enough. He didn't need – nor did he want – to add children into that equation. Not yet.

Beth stared at them a moment longer before swiping under her eyes to wipe away the tears and sniffling. "Marion."

Noah stiffened.

Blaine nearly choked on his coffee. The mug he was holding would have crashed to the floor if Noah hadn't turned around in time to catch it, some of the hot liquid falling onto his hand in the process. He hissed before turning his eyes onto Blaine, noting his wide hazel eyes and shocked expression.

Because Blaine was from Marion.

* * *

><p>"I could do this all day." The Prince paced in front of the thief, his boots slapping against the floor before he sighed and looked down at the prisoner before him. No. He couldn't do this all day. And being tough and hard around the edges was getting him nowhere so far. So far he had no answers about why he felt connected to him. Which was the whole damn reason he had called him in in the first place.<p>

The Prince scratched at the back of his neck before kneeling down in front of him again, tugging the ring of keys off his belt and finding the one to unlock the thief's chains easily enough. He placed the key in the whole, turning it and watching as the metal clanged to the floor. The thief looked up at him uneasily but calculatingly. His hazel stare was almost too much and, for some reason, the Prince almost felt like blushing. More than that, though. He felt as though he owed this thief some sort of explanation. "I won't do any of those things." He sighed, sitting down in his throne and letting his head fall into his hands.

They sat in silence for a long time and the Prince was sure it was a lost cause. He was ready to call back in the guards when he heard a voice that made his heart stop. For once he was not the only one talking. "What makes me any different?" It was soft, yet it was precise. It held prestige and wealth. It sounded a big northern, like a different dialect than the Prince was used to hearing. And, indeed, he had not heard that dialect in a full year, ever since he had been moved into the castle to live and serve with his father as Prince to a land he did not willingly rule over.

He was confused for a moment before almost being insulted. "What?"

It must have shown in his voice, but the prisoner made no move to apologize. "If I were any other prisoner you would have done no more than leave them chained up and executed. You would have done all of what you had threatened. So what makes me any different from any other prisoner?"

The Prince stared at him for a moment longer, holding his gaze before looking away. "I don't know."

"Then you're not very kingly are you?" The thief rolled his eyes and the Prince had the feeling that he was being teased. He frowned, glancing over at the prisoner for a moment and noting his protective stance, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed at the floor in what the Prince could only place as contempt. He wasn't happy with the Prince. He wasn't happy with him at all.

"My name's Noah. What's yours?" It was a split second decision and it wasn't one that the Prince really had wanted to make. He didn't just go around telling people his name, his 'wife' didn't even refer to him by his given name.

"Why are you telling me this?" The thief looked up at him what the Prince could only place as amazement, a frown on his face, as though he were waiting for the catch. To be honest, the Prince was waiting for one too.

"There's just... you're interesting."

"So I'm your new toy? Lucky me."

"No." The Prince shook his head slowly, turning to look out the window before turning back to the prisoner, a frown of thought on his face. "There's just something about you."

"People have said that before." The thief shrugged at him. "It's called the 'con man persona'. Or so I've heard."

"It's not that." The guards pounded against the door, yelling at him that the King and the Prince's 'wife' were back. A brief fear laced in his stomach as they banged once more. Soon they were bound to get restless and walk into the room unannounced. Then where would the Prince be? With an unchained thief. That would not go well for either of them.

He knelt down, picking up the chains and walking over to the thief. The prisoner was standing now and he was shorter than the Prince, but not as short as his 'wife' was so that it was almost uncomfortable. This close he had beautifully long lashes and the Prince had to resist the urge to do something he would most likely regret later that day. He placed the chains back on the thief's wrists, his curious gaze burning into the Prince's face. They were only a few inches apart and, as the Prince locked them around the limbs tight enough that they wouldn't fall off, but not as tight as the guards had placed them before, the thief leaned up on his tip toes, his breath brushing against the Prince's cheek as his lips strayed near his ear. The Prince stiffened, holding onto his wrists in case he tried anything. But nothing was tried, just a simple word was whispered into his ear. "Warbler."

"What?" The Prince tried to keep him from moving backwards but the prisoner still made it back a few steps before the door opened and the guards walked in, apologizing for how long it took them.

"It's what you can call me."

* * *

><p>"I haven't been to Marion in years." Blaine commented softly in the passenger seat of Noah's car, his head leaning against the window as the scenery passed them by. Marion wasn't too far away, but his dislike was understandable. Noah had heard the tales of what had happened to his partner in Marion and he was no happier than him to be going back to that place. He would rather avoid it all costs. But he had needed to get Beth home quickly and Blaine was the only one of them that definitely knew the route there.<p>

Beth sat quietly in the backseat, singing almost inaudibly to the music on the radio, her book open on her lap and her brown eyes soaking in the words on the pages. Noah glanced back at her through the rear view mirror, trying to ignore the surge of affection.

He could imagine the two of them – Noah and Blaine – in two time, maybe even more than two years, with a child of their own sitting in the backseat. And, of course, they'd be singing along to the radio because Blaine was their father, and of course they'd be singing along to classic rock like Van Halen or Queen because Noah was their father. They'd look back at him or her and smile at them and they'd return the gesture and...

There Noah went again. Planning their future like some love sick woman. He rolled his eyes at himself, pulling up to a stop light and reaching over for Blaine's hand, happy when it slid easily into his own and he rested their linked hands over the console in the middle of the car.

Blaine didn't look too good. But, once again, Noah couldn't really blame him. It was obvious that even though Blaine had friends in Marion he didn't particularly want to go back.

_1.5 miles to Marion_. A sign on the right read in the classing blue type.

"Okay, we're going to drop you off and maybe talk to your mom about how you ran away and then we're going to head back home." Noah said for about the tenth time when they pulled into the small town. It was quaint and homely. It was exactly as Blaine had described to him before.

Beth looked up at him with wide eyes. "You can't! You need to save everyone from the curse!"

"Beth, please." Blaine sounded exhausted, his hazel eyes struck with a tired film and his head resting in his unoccupied hand. Noah had a feeling that bringing him here really hadn't been his smartest idea. "Noah has work he has to get back to and we left all our stuff at home. I'm sure Noah would like to visit sometime but we have to make sure that it's okay with your mother."

"No one leaves Marion!" She insisted, her voice taking on a sort of panicked tone. "You can't try to leave! Something will happen and you'll get hurt."

"Which house is yours?" Noah ignore her frantic voice, happy when she sat back in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her lips, her eyes watering again. Of course Noah had to be the father of a drama queen. What other way would it have been?

"That one." She pointed dejectedly to a tall white building and Blaine sat up straighter for a moment, his hazel eyes wide in shock yet again.

"Your mother is the _mayor_?"

* * *

><p><strong>A: N –<strong> Annnd there's chapter two. :D This is basically going to be the set up for all the next chapters until I decide to change it. Sound good to you? Good.


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